Emma is a student in Miss Blake’s class.

One day, Miss Blake was teaching a lesson on plants: “Plants need many of the same things we need,” she said. “Things like air, water, food, and sunlight.”

At the end of the lesson,

Miss Blake handed out

pots and some packages. 

“I’ve given you each:

a pot, some soil, and

tomato seeds. 

We will be growing

tomato plants for a

school garden.”

Emma was very excited! She filled her pot with soil, planted the seeds, and found a nice spot in the corner where no one would knock it over.

After a few days, the tomato plants were all sprouting out of the soil. All of them…

Except Emma’s.

Emma sat beside her pot and said, “My little potted tomato, why oh why will you not grow?”

Emma’s classmates all laughed at her tomato plant. “Your tomato is so dumb it can’t even grow!”

Emma was sad. She sat looking at the pot. “Maybe tomato doesn’t like being at school,” Emma thought to herself. So she asked Miss Blake if she could take her plant home.

Emma found a nice table and put her tomato plant on it. But the tomato still would not grow. Emma sat beside her pot and said, “My little potted tomato, why oh why will you not grow?”

Emma started to cry. Her mother came in and asked, “Emma, why are you crying?”

“My tomato won’t grow! All my friends’ tomatoes are growing, but not mine! I brought it home to take care of it, but it just can’t grow!”

Emma’s mother smiled at her, “Just because it doesn’t grow as fast as others doesn’t mean you give up on it. Maybe your tomato just needs a little help. What do tomatoes need to grow?”

“Sunlight!” Emma shouted. She picked up her tomato plant and ran into the living room with it. She found it a nice spot by the window where it would get lots of sunlight.

Emma came home from school the next day to check on her tomato plant, but it still had not grown. Emma sat beside her pot and said, “My little potted tomato, why oh why will you not grow?”

“I know!” Emma shouted. “Maybe you need more water!” She ran into the kitchen and got a big glass of water for her tomato plant.

Emma came home from school the next day to check on her tomato plant, but it still had not grown. Emma sat beside her pot and said, “My little potted tomato, why oh why will you not grow?”

“I know!” Emma shouted. “Maybe you need some plant food!” She ran to the kitchen and got a bag of plant food for her tomato plant.

Emma came home from school the next day to check on her tomato plant, but it still had not grown. Emma sat beside her pot and said, “My little potted tomato, why oh why will you not grow?”